


Watch.

by smallpanslytherin



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Bisexual Male Character, Bisexual Mollymauk Tealeaf, Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition, Fluff, M/M, Romantic Fluff, Secret Relationship, Short, Short & Sweet, Tieflings, bisexual caleb widowgast, critical role - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-11
Updated: 2018-11-11
Packaged: 2019-08-22 07:32:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,257
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16593566
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smallpanslytherin/pseuds/smallpanslytherin
Summary: When the rest of the party go to bed, and Molly and Caleb take watch, the two enjoy a more intimate moment together by the fire.





	Watch.

**Author's Note:**

> This work includes:  
> \- Playful flirting.  
> \- Fluff.  
> There is no violence or sexual themes depicted and so I chose not to use any warnings. Thank you so much for reading ♡
> 
> I have loved this pairing ever since I started Critical Role, and they live on in my heart every day. I have never written Molly or Caleb before, so I thought I'd start off short and sweet to see if you guys enjoyed it and wanted more. Would you like this story to be continued? And if so, with fluff, smut, angst, or a combination? All feedback really helps!

“I will take the watch, also.”

Caleb’s voice was probably the least expected to be heard out of the group, but that distinct accent could be mistaken for no other. A moment of silence fell over everyone as they tried to comprehend what had just been spoken, turning to look at Caleb as if there were something wrong with him. 

“It’s settled then, me and Caleb will take the watch,” Molly said, a flourishing hand movement seeming to make his comment final.  
Nott’s eyes turned to look up at Caleb, huge orbs like moons fixed upon the human’s face. “Are you sure? You do look tired,” the Goblin said, her voice just as recognisable as the human’s.  
“Ja, I am sure,” Caleb answered, a small smile creeping onto his face. A type of smile that was specifically reserved for Nott, a smile that said _‘thank you for caring.’_

Out of everyone in the party, Fjord would probably have paired Caleb and Mollymauk last in terms of who would take watch together, but here Caleb was doing just that. It made Fjord wonder if perhaps the human was trying to form closer bonds with the new group of people he found himself with, and taking watch with Molly was a way Caleb could do that. Admittedly very tired, Fjord (and the rest of _The Mighty Nein_ ) saw no reason to argue with this. A fire was burning, and Caleb could create his own light with magic, so the human taking the watch worked out just fine. Nott seemed slightly weary of this, but upon noticing, Beau chalked it down to her protective attitude towards Caleb and how watch could sometimes be a danger.

Jester, however, overjoyed a decision had been made, could be seen already crawling into her tent. Exhausted from the day’s work, all the blue Tiefling wanted was to settle down and sketch a few notes here and there for the Traveller before falling into the deepest of sleeps. Bidding their goodnights, Beau and Nott followed quickly behind, while Fjord took to the tent he had been sharing with Molly, thinking of how much more space would be available to spread into now without jingling horns next to him. As each party member disappeared, Caleb became painfully aware of how quiet the night was. A sky as black as coal, the starless tapestry made Molly’s vivid colour and charm stand out even more so than usual. As Caleb thought about this, his palms began to sweat.

The Wizard watched Molly intensely, taking in the way he settled down by the fire and began to prod at it with a stick. To anyone else, it was no special sight, but Caleb was able to see things he believed were truly magical. The way the embers and sparks of flames moved when Molly provoked them, like a puppet master conducting his creations to wow the crowd and give the show of a lifetime. Everything Mollymauk did carried such a subtle form of grace, even someone like Caleb couldn’t escape falling headfirst into the Tiefling’s charm. 

“You can sit down, yknow’. I don’t bite unless requested to.” Molly’s voice was like honey. 

A kind of honey that successfully covered every inch of your skin before you even realised it, a beautiful death encasing you within its golden walls as you sunk into the depths. A kind of honey you just craved to taste, so much so you didn’t fight back against the feeling of being pulled lower, head submerging into the Godly scent. That’s what Caleb thought of Molly’s voice, anyway.

“Ja,” Caleb answered, feeling his throat go dry.  
Had he just been staring at Molly this entire time without realising? Caleb tried to swallow, resisting the urge to mutter a string of curses to himself as Molly looked over at him, curiously.  
“So, are you going to sit down?”  
Molly laughed when he asked this, the natural smile causing his fangs to peak out from behind his lips as the Tiefling gestured to the spot free by the fire.  
If there was one thing even more dangerous than Mollymauk’s voice, it was his laugh. Caleb was certain he’d be weak at the knees already it if his social anxiety hadn’t locked his body in place.

With as much effort as it took to uproot a tree, Caleb lifted one foot and began to force himself forward. Slowly, the man approached and lowered himself to the ground, sitting comfortably and bringing his knees to his chest. Caleb’s face felt so incredibly red already, the thought causing himself to tuck his legs even closer to his body.  
“Why do you do that?” Molly asked, rather suddenly, causing Caleb to snap his head to the side.  
“Was?” Caleb respond in his mother tongue, feeling awfully exposed. “Why do I do what?” 

“Sit like that. I’ve seen you around the others, and admittedly you’re not the most extroverted of the bunch, but you don’t always tuck yourself away like that.” Molly explained, raising an eyebrow. “You only make yourself as small as possible when around me, why is that?” 

As Molly presented these questions, he had a smirk on his face that could only be described as smug. Molly’s aura made the questions almost appear rhetorical, as if he knew the answers already but just wanted to hear them from Caleb’s mouth. As Molly’s head tilted, the trinkets decorating his horns gave off a gentle twinkle. 

“You know why,” Caleb said simply, scowling as he turned away to focus on the fire rather than Molly’s (handsome) face.  
“I do? Well, awful memory. I don’t remember a lot of things, love. Why don’t you remind me?” Molly asked, causing the smile on his face to grow even more.

He liked to think he knew Caleb, though not as deeply as perhaps Nott did, Molly believed he knew Caleb in a very different way. Although it was not intense, Molly had still seen a part of Caleb rare few did, and it was something the Tiefling treasured. Watching, waiting for an answer, Molly could clearly see how under all that dirt and stubble was a blush, blooming like a virgin rose on the first sunrise of a summer morning. 

“Come here,” Molly instructed, opening one arm up and stretching it to the side.  
Caleb seemed to respond without thinking, his knees staying pressed against his chest as his body leaned to the side, bumping into Molly’s chest.  
“I am sorry,” Caleb said, eyes fixed on the fire in front of him as if he could see something within it moving.  
Molly shuffled to the side, closing the small gap between their bodies. “Sorry for what?”  
“That I cannot- that I am not ready to be as open with everyone as you may be.”

Caleb swallowed thickly as he spoke, a small thread of panic rising in his chest as he imagined Molly suddenly standing and leaving, because Caleb should indeed be sorry and it was not good enough. But, the feeling of purple skin made those images disappear, Molly feeling warmer than the fire itself somehow that sat crackling in front of them. 

Molly turned his head to the side, lips pressing against the human’s temple with such care. “I wouldn’t expect anything less.”  
Caleb melted into the touch, feeling all tension in his body seeping into the earth like water as he truly allowed himself to relax against the Tiefling. The Wizard’s head dropped, tucking itself under Mollymauk’s chin as Caleb closed his eyes, enjoying the moment.  
“It does not bother you?”  
“Course not, this way I get you all to myself in every way possible.”

The comment made Caleb almost snort with laughter, finding such a loveable charm in the way Molly saw the world around him. Caleb’s world was black and white, shaded with anxiety and fear and survival. Molly, on the other hand, was a rainbow, the perfect splash of colour Caleb never knew he needed.  
“I can’t imagine I am good company,” Caleb said, shrugging his shoulder softly against Molly’s body.  
This was met with a click of the Tiefling’s tongue as Molly disagreed, bringing his hand up to caress Caleb’s jaw, making their gazes meet.  
“You are my idea of the most perfect company possible, and trust me, I’ve got a lot to judge from.”

Molly’s lips were a stark contrast to his hands and body. They seemed to be the only part of the Tiefling that didn’t run hot, a cool and smooth feeling against Caleb’s lips as he welcomed the attention. Small and private moments with Molly like this was probably the only attention Caleb every welcomed, really. The kiss was short and sweet as always, a heartfelt yet plain peck on the lips. Deep down, Caleb felt like he did not deserve this at all. Someone as delightful and perplexing as Mollymauk to be reduced to very small kisses and secret hand holding seemed almost like having access to an entire library at your fingertips and only reading one page to Caleb. But right now, one page was all Caleb could manage, and that was when the two were away from prying eyes, let alone how Caleb would feel if these gestures were in front of their friends. The Wizard was just not there yet, and the fact Molly had been _so_ understanding seemed like something out of a dream. 

Caleb reached over to Molly’s free hand, (the other currently draped around Caleb’s shoulders) and began to trace each finger. From tip to knuckle on every digit, followed by every river shape of Molly’s veins beneath his supple skin.  
“I care for you, a lot,” Caleb whispered. “And I don’t want this to be secretive forever.”  
Molly watched Caleb’s fingers on his skin, reassurance in his voice. “I know.”  
The Tiefling turned his hand over, feeling strange yet pleasant tingles on his skin as Caleb began to trace his palm. 

The pair were content like this, snuggled close together by a dying fire with small but heartfelt minor pecks and touches, small reminders each were happy to remain in the moment. Caleb and Molly had been courting for perhaps two weeks now as Caleb remembered, and part of him thought it silly his heart still picked up when Molly looked at him. Although much more confident than the Wizard, Molly would not deny the exact same happened to him when he caught the human staring. 

There was something about Caleb so incredibly fascinating, and Molly could not put his finger on it for the life of him. But the Bloodhunter knew there was something that drew him in so deeply it could not be ignored, and Molly had no intention on doing so. The way Caleb looked when he read books, how his nose scrunched in concentration and his brow furrowed. How he looked when he laughed, eyes crinkling at the sides and cheeks rosy. How timid yet powerful Caleb was all at once, like storm clouds who carried a thunder inside them but looked calm and still to any onlooker. Caleb, Molly thought, was just as curious as the Tiefling himself in many ways, and curiosity was something impossible to resist. 

Caleb began to speak, and Molly wanted nothing more in that moment than to listen.  
“You will be safe, tomorrow?”  
“I’m unstoppable,” Molly answered, carrying the confidence of a king.  
Worries of tomorrow continued to flood Caleb’s mind. A simple quest, to clear out an old dwelling that was to be repurposed of all creatures inside. But, the idea of Molly getting hurt was still one taunting Caleb’s mind, or the idea of Molly feeling any discomfort at all.  
“And if I get hurt, if it is too risky to-.”  
“That won’t happen. Just don’t go where I can’t follow, Mister Caleb.”

Before more anxieties could spill from Caleb’s mouth like a flood, Molly’s lips were there again in such a gentle fashion. Pacifying the Wizard for only a moment, Caleb found himself chasing Molly’s lips as they pulled away. In that moment, Caleb wanted nothing more than to read what secrets waited on the next page of the book, and so he pressed his lips against Molly’s and didn’t stop. Molly purred with appreciation, the noise vibrating against Caleb’s lips and making the human’s stomach flip with excitement. Slowly, Molly’s hand traced down the curve of Caleb’s spine and rested on his lower back, while the other supported the man’s stubble covered cheek as the kiss got deeper. It felt amazing, like each had been dying of thirst and had stumbled across a pool of fresh clean water. Without even realising, Caleb found both his hands resting on the nape of his lover’s neck, teasing at the hair above ever so slightly by giving ginger little tugs here and there. 

When both felt like they couldn’t breath a second longer, the kiss was finally broken. Molly could still feel Caleb’s warm and panting breath on his lips, a wonderful feeling. It felt so incredibly good to kiss Caleb like this, Molly wasn’t sure if he knew how to speak anymore.  
“We should focus on the watch,” Caleb finally said, breaking the silence as his eyes stayed locked with the Tiefling’s.  
Molly smiled. “No promises, you’re quite the looker.”  
Caleb flushed, daring to roll his eyes as the man settled back down against Molly’s welcoming chest. “Do not make me regret taking watch with you by getting our asses kicked by bandits, ja?”


End file.
